All posts filed under: Admire

The 10 most iconic wedding dresses ever

#10 is one of three iconic 50’s wedding dresses to feature on the list. Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy wasn’t yet an international style icon when she married on September 12, 1953, but her stunning frock by dressmaker Anne Lowe is still a statement of class, taste, and timeless embellishment that references design details seen on wedding gowns of the 1860s-1880s, while still being iconically 1950s. #9 is a wedding dress with a difference. Mia Farrow’s suit for her July 19, 1966 marriage to Frank Sinatra was clean, modern and fun, the epitome of 60s mod and the total antithesis of the 1950s ballgown wedding dresses. At #8 is the daughter-in-law to #10’s style icon. All eyes were on Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy when she married on September 21 1996, and her strikingly simple and sexy bias cut Narcisco Rodriguez gown was a breath of fresh air after the poofy romance of 1980s wedding dresses. #7 is the only dress on the list that wasn’t actually worn for a wedding, but it is the dress that started the trend …

Elizabeth Taylor Paper Dolls

Published by The Dreamstress

The bulk of this post was actually written a few weeks ago, but I kept pushing it back to accommodate other posts. Now, suddenly, it’s very topical, so enjoy with a bit of mixed emotions. A few weeks ago I wrote about Ayyam-i-ha. One of the things I didn’t mention is that Ayyam-i-ha often includes the giving of gifts. My Mum sent a package with the loveliest presents: a cloisonne thimble, and these Elisabeth Taylor paper dolls: The book was published in 1957, and includes two dolls, one on the front cover and one on the back, and seven pages of ensembles. And it is in pristine, uncut condition. Go Mom! The present isn’t as random as it sounds. I’ve collected paper dolls since I was a little girl, mostly modern ones by Tom Tierney, but vintage ones too when I can get my hands on them. The pages of ensembles in the book are just fabulous, even if I really doubt they have any relationship to what Taylor actually wore in real life! First, …

Pretty things to lift the mood

Published by The Dreamstress

Last Friday I had the perfect day planned out, and nothing went according to plan and I didn’t get anything accomplished and I was getting very grumpy. Then I went to the op-shop. And my day got lots better. So much fun vintage prettiness! Op-shop prettiness makes everything better: it doesn’t blow your budget, and you can’t plan what you buy, so it has the delightful surprise discovery factor. Perfect mood fixer. This is what I got: Vintage cotton threads in a delicious range of colours. 50cents each! I love the colour names, they are so evocative, though some of them are very much a product of their time, and are not at all acceptable now. Two ridiculously pink and frilly 1960s negligee On a more tasteful, or at least better made, note, I found this hand-tatted wool blouse. The yarn is incredibly fine, and the handwork is amazing. I can’t imagine how long it must have taken to make the blouse. Moving away from textiles, I found a sweet little trinket dish. I’m using …